‘Digital Deserts’ Send Doctors Out on House Calls to Fight Virus

The Federal Communications Commission in April estimated that 22.3% of Americans in rural areas and 27.7% of Americans on tribal lands don’t have access to fixed broadband with the typical speed standard of 25 megabits per second (mbps), a moderate browsing speed. By comparison, only 1.5% of Americans in urban areas can’t reach that speed. Nearly 21% of Americans also aren’t active smartphone users, according to market research. The pandemic has closed libraries and coffee shops, further limiting internet access for patients in poorly served areas, Caitlin Donovan, spokeswoman for the National Patient Advocate Foundation, said. That leaves patients in underserved rural areas with few options. They can delay care or sometimes drive hundreds of miles for treatment while risking exposure to the virus. While the FCC has programs to help low income residents with affordable phone service, bringing the high-speed internet connection necessary to make things like telehealth a viable option for low density rural areas will be an expensive challenge requiring proper government incentives.